Sunday, November 15, 2009

I cannot believe we're approaching the end of this year already. Where did it go? I know I say this almost every year, but really, this year went by really fast!

We took Z to Illuminite yesterday, the annual tree-lighting event at Yonge-Dundas in downtown Toronto. Even though we missed the firethrowers and the laser show, Z enjoyed the walk, the lights and the quiet time with A and I.

Z was fascinated by the lights but could not understand why they were not thead (red), her favourite colour. She loved running around the square and all the attention she was getting from passer-bys.

We stopped by at Salad King, our favourite Thai-on-the-go place (A and I have never ever enjoyed a meal there together). Z enjoyed herself sans high-chair, with the spoons and the songs that we were asked to sing to her on demand.

As I was watching A entertain Z, I thought it's so simple really to make a child happy; a little bit of attention, some love, some music and crayons. Z has been a simple child from get-go, as long as kept her away from crowds and put her early to bed, she's been happy. Ofcourse, as a 20-month old, she now loves people (much like her father) and tries to fight off sleep as long as possible. I've definitely been missing my morning time with her on the weekdays but watching her with A, seeing their relationship grow (due to more of him and less of me) makes my heart tingle! I sometimes think it's me and not her, who's having a hard time letting go.

And as promised to Z, we finished the night off with Wanda's Waffles, a tiny Belgian waffle cafe, run by a father and son team.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Last week was an extremely busy week, such that I did not even get to check email everday. Any that has NEVER happened! EVER!

I survived my first week as a gradschoolMom. I'm absolutely loving it - the people are inspiration-ally brilliant, the place is eclectic and old (I'm a sucker for all things old!) and the topic (design) is close to heart! What more could I ask for? Just a little more time with Z! I do miss spending every waking moment with her *sigh*. Her transition has been exceptional; she's been patient with her tired mom (I get a lot of hugs, kisses and cuddles when I get home), accommodating and just plain awesome!

A's been a super-dad and a super-super-super partner... We enjoyed home-made bread, courtesy of A and other yummilicious home-cooked food (have I mentioned that A is baker and chef extraordinaire?).. Life's been busy-good...

We enjoyed a quiet weekend - neighbourhood strolls, visits to the grandparents and catching up on sleep! Hope you're weekend was fabulous and your Monday wasn't too blue!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

A totally unplanned night-over at grandma's today. And I'm missing Z terribly. I'm so tempted to drive over and pick her up. The only thing stopping me is the possibility that I'll really hurt their feelings and Z's sleep being disturbed.

I love you Z. I'm so excited I get to spend all day with you tomorrow (my hands-on business session got canceled which worked out really well for me!). You've got an exciting weekend ahead of you...

The 'new-s' this week:- You learnt how to say pink "penck" and you confuse it with "thead" (red) but you've almost got it nailed- The first couple of things you say when you wake up in the morning are "udhar jaana amma" (i want to go there mom) and you point to the door that takes us out of the room to the kitchen and you want to "dwaw" and drink "jus".- You kiss us (aba and amma) on the lips and then squeal with excitement.- You put your arms around yourself and say huggie (it's the cutest thing ever)- You get super excited at the thought of wearing your "boots" and jacket. You stand by the door willing it to open so you can run out as soon as you have your outer gear on. You love the chill in the air, so unlike your mom!
- You love pulling you "mins" (clips) out of your hair. Every time you take it out, you run along to give me your "min" so I can put it away.- When I take you to the bathroom to brush your teeth, you call out to your brush "brushie, brushie, brushie..."- You hold my cheek when you sleep. - You love sitting on the kitchen countertop.- You want to hear a story (and not from a book) before nap time. You don't like nap time anymore.- You have started liking you bread sticks dipped in cheese.- You say "c'est" before everything. C'est brushies, c'est crayon, c'est book, c'est boots, c'est shoes. I know you don't realise it's very french, but i love it :)- You enjoyed watching the movie No Reservations with me. I enjoyed it more because we watched it together.

Friday, October 16, 2009

I haven't blogged in over a week now, simply because it has been a crazy busy week. Last weekend was thanksgiving weekend in Canada and we enjoyed a great couple of days with family and friends. Our dear friends Nikki (baker extraordinaire) and Omar (chef extraordinaire) hosted an intimate dinner for Sana's family and ours. As always, the menu was simple and the food, par excellence.

On the menu:Bite-sized pitas with eggplant chutney from Sue'sPecan and peppers green salad (I will share the recipe this week, I tried it out for a dinner at my mil's and I got a lot of compliments!)Italian bread with garlic butterMashed potatoes with beef gravyTurkey with your choice of cranberry sauce or pepper sauce

For desert, Nikki had baked the most decadent chocolate cake I've ever eaten. It was soft, moist and it melted in your mouth and the best part is, prep time is only 15 minutes.

This week started off rather well because A and I enjoyed date night #2 on Tuesday. We watched Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy's documentary Children of the Taliban at the beautiful University of Toronto campus downtown. Just being at this campus makes me want to start school again - it envelopes you in this rich academic bubble!
The documentary screening was extra-special since I got to meet Sharmeen herself! I've been wanting to meet her ever since I interviewed her for The Grind Magazine a couple of years ago. She is as charming in person as she was over the phone! It was such a pleasure!

I've also been prepping for fall - putting the summer flip flops away and bringing in the boots and coats. This normally mundane activity was a ton of fun because Z participated. Our morning walks have come to a halt because the weather's been dangerously low unfortunately. I think winter's come knocking at our door rather early this year!

On a positive note, this weekend is really busy and we have a lot of fun things planned :)And...and.. I'm starting grad school next week. I will be an MA/MFA grad-in-the-making...I'm so excited and a bit anxious too! I hope the transition to student-mom is smooth :)

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

One of the resolutions A and I made this Eid was to take out time for each other. We thought about how we could make it happen sans Z, sans work, sans work, sans blackberries/iphone and it translated into 'date night' one evening each week. Our first was last night and it was totally planned by A as a surprise for me. And it BLEW me away. I've been wanting to watch Cirque du Soleil forever now. We missed the show this summer and I was really disappointed.

So imagine my surprise, excitement, anxiety (I could hear my heart beat) when we drove into the parking lot that said Reserved Parking for Cirque du Soleil. We watched OVO, a story about the vibrancy of life in the ecosystem. The performance was mind-blowing. The choreography was brilliant. I loved the sets, the music, the acts. It defied gravity.

I highly highly recommend you get your hands on some tickets (it was sold out in TO the last time we checked) and go watch it! What a perfect start to our date night tradition. Thanks A!

ps: we weren't allowed to take cameras inside the big top so A banned, yes banned me from taking my camera! It's big he said. sigh and i had to follow instructions since he was the master planner of the evening. All pictures are from the website.
pps: yesterday was the first night Z spent away from me, at my mom's. I was anxious to say the least but she had a blast! YAY for grandma's.

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Even though I can't believe it's fall already and I'm already mourning over the loss of summer, I have decidedly determined to make the most of this season, especially outdoors for Z. Above a few images captured on our morning walks.

My mom gave me a set of albums last week; pictures taken on our family holidays. I still remember the absolutely lovely trip my parents planned to Europe for our family. I was thirteen at the time and they had planned an extensive 5 week vacation to include 9 countries. Of the 5 weeks, we spent an entire week in The Netherlands. We flew to Schipol Airport, rented a spanking red BMW (my dad loves cars) and drove around the country. I can still taste their almond tarts which we would indulge in every time we were in need of a fill up (since they were only available at the petrol pumps). We drove from Amsterdam to Groningen (where my dad had some work) stopping along quaint little towns such as The Hague, Edam, Volendam and a few others, along the way. If it was possible to savour the fragrance of a place, I tell you, I have The Netherlands' scent stored in a little bottle tucked away in my heart.

Sharing these memories with A brought upon teary-eyed nostalgia and as a very thoughtful cheering up gesture, he bought home tulip bulbs to plant in our front yard. Over the weekend, A and Z planted red, cranberry and white bulbs in our front yard. I'm so excited to seem them blossom in spring!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Sana's email about the Hanging Fire Exhibit got me thinking about my bare walls. I'd love to own any or all of the above pieces by popular contemporary artist Salman Farooqi? Aren't they just riveting?

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! I received an email from a dear friend Sana Mulji who just got back from NYC. She was there to view her sister, Huma Mulji's collection at the Hanging Fire Exhibit, the first exhibit in the US of Contemporary Pakistani Art. If you are in New York, do visit, it ends January 3, 2010.

I've never been one for zoos. Even though as a child I have vividly fond memories of my parents taking me to the Dubai Zoo and the Al-Ain Zoo. I love animals but I don't like them caged.

Z at Dubai Zoo, Jan 2009

Z loves her an-ee-maws (translate animals), so when we were visiting my parents in Dubai earlier this year, I took her to the zoo. Z, at 9 months, was most excited and babbled to all the an-ee-maws that were awake.

June 05, 2008 - given that we live just 5 minutes away from the Toronto Zoo, A and I decided we'd become members and take her once a week, atleast in the summer. Z loved it. Each time we take her to the zoo, she is animated, excited and bouncing of the walls with energy. It's an exhilarating feeling just watching her. I took her today and here's some of the new associations she made.

mooz

thead and gween birdie (translate red and green bird)

birdie drinking mani ( translate pani, which means water in urdu)

neigh neigh (translate horse)

I'd highly recommend a visit to the Toronto Zoo. It's such a fun way to spend the day!

ABOUT ME

Having lived on three continents and with a desire to live on more, I love stories, cultures, histories and all things old and beautiful. This blog is a diary of my works, inspirations and musings.
Thanks for visiting!